Is it necessary to have a religion awareness class in high schools to prepare them for the diversity of the world?

Oct 22 2013:
These may be two different questions. One is whether a course on religions is necessary or useful to prepare high school students for the diversity of the world. A second is whether schools should be the place where students are guided to decide which religion they would prefer.

I do not know in which country you live, but you may know that in some countries, including the US, schools cannot under the law guide children in deciding on their religious beliefs, whereas in other countries there may be a religion students are expected to take on as their own.

On the other hand studying religions as part of social studies is common. I know it is available as an elective at my son's school. And all three of my kids learned about Buddhism and Hinduism is middle school and Ancient Egyptian and Native American beliefs in grade school.

Oct 23 2013:
Religion is not the only factor that plays into diversity. There also is race,gender, cultures, morals, and financial backgrounds. The job of deciding what rligion the student should choose is not up to, or any of business, to the schools. Schools main objective is to teach and educate according to the curriculum. I think since religion is such a personal and sensitive topic it would be impossible for schools to teach this without facing some sort of conflict among its peers.

Oct 22 2013:
This would require an astronomical acceptance level of the school system and teachers, I'd say this is not possible.

That being said, in the Central school system of our church that is encouraged and organized, by visits to other religions. This may be based on one of our basic (and unique) doctrines which states that 'every religion has good in it, thus anyone, sincerely following any religion will be accepted.'

Oct 22 2013:
i think people should be close to religion and especially when it s hims...
and it all starts when they are young .
in arabic countries we make classes for 4-year-old and 5-year-old kids of Quran and we make them learn it by heart .

Oct 22 2013:
I would expect the only real impact of such classes would be large scale protesting by religious groups, and an increase in the number of atheists (the old "tell me all the reasons you don't believe in all the other gods, and I'll tell you why I don't believe in yours").

Seems like a waste of student's time honestly, especially when math and science are already taught to non-satisfactory levels in most of the world.
Teaching them about other cultures I can get behind, but focusing purely on other religions, less so.

Oct 22 2013:
it depends our free will after all ,because every society protect and cherish the religion and they'll hate you for what you proposed above :).....let's teach them how to be tolerant with any religion can they face in their future like the best religion of awareness.